Fasting: Days 18-19

This is the update for Days 18-19 of my 21-day fast in Feb ’11. If you’re new to fasting, get the full background here: Fasting Experiment. Access all articles on fasting: The Fasting Series.

Here are the stats for Days 18-19:

Day 18

Day 19

Today’s Weight

125.2lbs / 56.8kg

125.2lbs / 56.8kg

Diff vs. Yesterday

-1.1lbs / -0.5kg

0lbs / 0kg

Total Difference

-19.2lbs / -8.7kg

-19.2lbs / -8.7kg

Water consumption

0.7 liters

1.1 liters

Body Temp

36 C / 96.9 F

36.1 C / 97.2 F

Overall Review

The past 2 days saw me detoxing on common ailments. On Day 18, I woke up with a bad throat (like Day 17), and that subsided later in the day. Throughout the day, I had flu-like symptoms which came and went. I also had fever at some point in the day which subsided. Stomaches and headaches also came as part of the package. I suspect these are the illnesses (from when I was young) which never got to heal themselves fully because I had taken medication at that point, leading to them being suppressed in my body (i.e. what I mentioned on Day 4).

Right now almost all the symptoms have subsided, except for the headache. It’s interesting I’m experiencing them now because I’ve never had any headache since young. Either way I’m letting the detox do its work. Nausea is no longer an issue anymore; Same for the light-headedness. They’re all completely gone now. The various food cravings I mentioned in the past week have also disappeared too. My tongue no longer tastes bitter – it’s now sweet and normal tasting, though the white layer is still there. I think I’d need to brush them off if I want to remove them.

After all the pain and discomfort I’ve been through the past couple of weeks, suffice to say my outlook on food (and subsequently myself) has completely changed. I can’t believe how much I’d abused my body all these years via the food I had eaten. I noticed that the first week of my detox was relatively okay. It was entering into second week and third week that it became very rough.

Mapping this with my diet changes through life, Week 1 of my detox probably corresponded to my 3 years of eating a vegetarian diet, which, while not the healthiest, was manageable, detox-wise. Week 2 onwards probably corresponded to my years of eating a meat-based diet before turning vegetarian. My diet was very unhealthy during those times. Besides it being meat-based, I also often had fast-food, processed food and fried food as an after-school leisure activity with friends. While I was going through the detox, my mind kept flashing back to all those unhealthy food I had fed myself with in the past. I felt saddened by all the unhealthy stuff I had fed my body with during all those times. My Week 1 detox was absolutely nothing compared to the detox I went through in Week 2, and the detox I’m going now in Week 3.

With the end of the fast, I’m going to stop abusing the role of food in my life. No more eating for the sake of eating, eating because I feel I have to, eating just to please others, or eating as a proxy for something else. Now that my systems have been thoroughly cleaned out with the fast, I can’t stand the thought of contaminating them with any bad foods at all – it’s quite revolting. From now on, food will be what it is – an energy source that allows me to continue living and get the best out of life (Day 10). And the richest, most direct energy source is really none other than fresh, raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds from Mother Nature, the way she has presented to us. This is going to be my #1 source in meeting my daily energy and nutritional needs; non-raw vegan food is a distant second in the case raw food is not available. I’m definitely not going to have any dairy, eggs or fried/oily food in my diet anymore. Subsequently, I suspect I’m going to start frequenting Subway from now on. (thinking back it was one of my frequent spots when I first turned vegetarian 3 years ago).

2 days left, and it’ll be time to break the fast. I’m thankful for this whole experience – it has truly opened my mind on a whole new level.

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Thank you for writing about your fast in such organized detail. Your account is the best I have come across to follow what happens to the body each day, even if people may experience them at different points.

http://personalexcellence.co/ Celestine Chua

Thanks for your kind comment jd, it is really my pleasure and I’m glad you’ve found this useful!

About Celes

Celestine Chua is the founder of Personal Excellence, your #1 site to achieve personal excellence. She believes in your magic and is here to help you achieve your highest potential in life.